Facts vs. Opinion

Opinions and researched facts are two different entities. It is often easy to form an opinion. It can be formed with or without validated evidence. Opinions are transient and subjective often based on emotions and circumstance. Opinions can be adopted or ignored.

I may offer my opinion which is part of the human condition, in doing so I attach my name to this blog and forum so that I am not liberated to publish something that is heavily subjective without objective merit. It is not my interest to slander or bash those named on this blog or elsewhere. I will however utilize research to find evidence regarding topics that I am interested in learning about or others have inquired about.

The public posting of facts is not slander. This blog is for the dissemination of researched information and occasionally I will post links to other sites.

Earlier this week I chose to post a link to an 89 page letter that discussed Mayor John T. O’Leary’s alleged business dealings . I learned about the letter as many others did via the NJ.com South Amboy forum. Later that day the link to the letter was deleted from NJ.com along with the thread. After reading the letter it was my opinion that the letter provided documents that substantiated the content of the paper. It is my belief that people have the right to read the information and draw their own conclusion.

Furthermore each and everyone of us has been afforded constitutional right. We have Natural Rights to “Life, liberty and property”. We have personal liberties that include the right to assemble peaceably, the right to communicate with the world, the right to express or publish one’s opinions or those of others and the right to enjoy privacy.

The mayor of this town is afforded those rights as are the employees of this town. Their personal lives should be off limits, as should their families. Their business ventures, property purchases, city employment, and actions which involved the resources of this city are open for question, investigation and accountability.

While it is not slander to provide facts and evidence based information, it is slander to state that someone is tearing apart a town.

“Truth is generally the best vindication against slander” Abraham Lincoln

“Truth is one forever absolute, but opinion is truth filtered through the moods, the blood, the disposition of the spectator. “ Wendell Phillips

Sincerely,

Kate McLaughlin